[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 154 (Friday, November 18, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S13355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY

 Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of National 
Adoption Day.
  If the events of the last few months have done nothing else, they 
have reminded us of the importance of family, friends, and faith in a 
time of crisis. Not a moment has gone by without an image of a mother 
searching for her son or a daughter looking for her grandmother. 
Families bring people together and make it possible for them to make it 
through these times of uncertainty and hardship.
  Now, more than ever, our focus is on bringing families together: we 
must rebuild, create, and transform these families. National Adoption 
Day is a way for this goal to be realized. It is in its sixth year and 
helps the dream of a permanent family come true through courts, judges, 
attorneys, and advocates who help to finalize adoptions.
  On this day, I would like to paint two pictures for you all: In 227 
cities and 45 States, at courthouses, churches, museums, parks, and 
beautiful public places all over the country, at least 4,000 children 
will find forever families, and dreams of thousands of adults will be 
realized. I want you to picture what happens on this fall day, children 
running, laughing, and playing with their new parent. Think about a 
girl or boy planning their special outfit and joyously awaiting the 
family celebration. Imagine the excitement welling up inside of a child 
as he or she looks into their new parent's eyes and knows they are 
finally part of a family. They will never dread the sound of a car 
coming to take them away again or wonder where they will lay their 
heads or which school they will be moved to. the other picture is 
dramatically different: In Louisiana alone, there are 4,424 children in 
foster care and 581,000 children nationwide waiting to be adopted. Only 
10 percent of these children will ever be adopted. They have not had 
the luxury of their own room, a stable school environment, or a 
constant adult in their lives.
  Most of these children entered into State custody because their 
parents were either unable or unwilling to care for them. What today is 
all about is transforming barriers into foundations. Tonight they will 
go home to their forever families. In speaking about forever families, 
I want to bring your attention to two of the many children in Louisiana 
that need forever families.
  Many children in the foster care system are teenagers and have more 
difficulty being adopted. These beautiful children are just waiting to 
flourish with the right parent's guidance. Reva, for example, is a 15-
year-old, reserved young woman who loves playing board games. She also 
is great at basketball and swimming. Reva does have a diagnosis of 
major depression and postraumatic stress disorder more than likely 
exacerbated by her time in foster care.
  D'Vonte is a 13-year-old vivacious young man who loves to dance and 
listen to music on his CD player. His favorite activities are working 
on art projects and going swimming during the summer months. As a true 
Louisianan, he loves gumbo and is a caring and affectionate child.
  I could stand here every day for the next month and talk about each 
child that needs to be adopted out of foster care. The bottom line is 
that each of these children, from 1 day old to 22 years old, needs 
permanency. They all need a loving, nurturing family that will help 
them to grow, bring out their unique personalities, and transform them 
into beautiful adults.
  Today, on National Adoption Day, I have faith that this can be done 
and we must continue to be the catalysis. The miracle of adoption 
cannot be explained, but the loving parents that are holding their 
children for the first time today are living examples of how dreams can 
be realized. As an adoptive mother myself, I cannot really explain the 
miracle of it, but I can only take a moment to offer my most humble 
thanks, gratitude, and appreciation to all those across the Nation who 
have given their Saturday to help find waiting children safe and loving 
homes.
  Let us continue to remember, when National Adoption Month and Day 
ends that there are still thousands of children like D'Vonte and Reva 
who need that sense of permanency. I challenge Congress to make these 
children their first priority and to help them to finally realize that 
dream.

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